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Lighten Up! It’s Good for You and It’s Good For Business

The other day a friend, who’s also an entrepreneur, and I were chatting, both feeling a little down and stuck on our own work projects. As we chatted we started making silly suggestions to each other with ideas for each other’s project. We were really goofy. We laughed, and both ended up not only feeling much better, but also inspired and able to get to work with new ideas and a new focus.

Sometimes – often – we get very serious about our business, our work, our projects. Running a business is indeed a serious affair. You could say, however, that it’s too serious to be taken too seriously (to paraphrase the words of Marjorie Barstow, one of the great Alexander Technique teachers of the last century).

I equate this “seriousness” with the narrow focus or concentration, which may, at times, seem necessary to get things done. Yet a too narrow focus can become a blinkered vision that stifles creativity and the ability to “think outside the box.” It hinders imaginative problem solving, innovation and vision.

You can see this narrow focus – the seriousness, the concentration – manifest itself physically too, for we cannot separate mind and body. With narrowed focus comes a physical narrowing – a tightening, an excess of tension, that literally pulls us inward. It is indeed a manifestation of what I call the “Posture of Overwhelm” (think fight, flight or freeze).

Interestingly, when we learn to release out of the Posture of Overwhelm into a more open and expansive posture, our focus also widens and our thinking becomes more expansive so we can imagine different possibilities and make connections we couldn’t see before. We are also more present to ourselves and others. With this open focus we can still diligently work on a specific task (in fact it can help you keep on task and not be distracted by the irrelevant because you are open enough to be more discerning) AND maintain peripheral awareness of other things.

Nurturing an attitude of curiosity and playfulness is hugely helpful in bringing us out of this narrow focus, and serves both the health of our business and ourselves. Making time for activities that are purely for pleasure can, however, seem counter-intuitive when it seems like every waking hour must be devoted to business concerns.

Yet I believe building “play” into our busy schedules (within reason of course) is vital. Doing something for the pure fun of it is something we adults tend not to value. Brené Brown, social scientist and author of the best-selling books The Gifts of Imperfection, Daring Greatly, and Rising Strong, considers play to be a “critically important component of Wholehearted living.”1 Play is purposeless – it’s something we do simply because it’s fun and we enjoy it.

She also warns us, “We’ve got so much to do and so little time that the idea of spending time doing anything unrelated to the to-do list actually creates stress. We convince ourselves that playing is a waste of precious time.”2

Respecting our biologically programmed need to play can transform work. It can bring back excitement and newness to our job. Play helps us deal with difficulties, provides a sense of expansiveness, promotes mastery of our craft, and is an essential part of the creative process. Most important, true play that comes from our own inner needs and desires is the only path to finding lasting joy and satisfaction in our work. In the long run, work does not work without play.3

I believe this to be VERY important.

For Christmas I was given three coloring books. I have really enjoyed doing some coloring, something I haven’t done for my own enjoyment since childhood. It’s one version of play that seems to suit me at the moment. It has no purpose except I enjoy doing it. Yet, while I’m coloring I find I’m able to think freely, let my mind wander a bit. I’m also able to notice my body, my breath and direct my thoughts intentionally if I wish. It was while I was coloring that this blog started to form in my mind!

At the beginning of coloring this mandala.

The finished product! 🙂

Another solitary form of “play” I incorporate into my life every day, is reading for pleasure. Sure, I read books about business, personal development and subjects related to the Alexander Technique, but I ALWAYS have a novel on the go, even if I only read for five minutes in bed before I go to sleep. Reading for pure pleasure is like breathing to me – I can’t imagine life without it.

Not all “play” will allow for free thinking while you’re playing, but I do believe the experience of pursuing an activity for the fun of it is not wasted time, and can open up our minds unexpectedly, AND give us a well-deserved break from the seriousness of work.

Also, having a little fun while you work – humor, silliness, enjoyment – helps us bring our best selves to the job. As Marjorie Barstow said, “Learn to laugh at yourselves: you always move better with a smile.” The same could be said for doing business.

So lighten up, and allow a little playfulness and play into your work and your life.

In what ways do you incorporate “play” into your life and work? Is it hard for you to find time for “play?” I’d love to hear from you in the comments at the bottom of the page.

Stuart Brown with Christopher Vaughan, Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul (New York: Penguin Group, 2009)

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Thanks for the article. Lately I’ve been coloring too! And also trying something called Zentangle – a form of doodling. I really love it. I can let my mind relax while I am creating something!! At work I get to play a lot – I work with 4 year olds!! It is pretty easy to jump back into my 4 year old self when I am with these kids and it feels great!! Lately I’ve been drawn to playing more board games – I bought a game to play on Christmas night with my extended family (Telestrations). It was super fun for all of us – lots of laughing. I love to play!!

Really well(and lightfully) articulated Imogen! I especially like the quote from Dr. Brown about ‘respecting our biologically programmed need to play’. It is so easy to see concentration and effort as what we are ‘supposed’ to be doing, it is wonderful to consider what it would be to place fun and ease on the same pedestal and with the same importance. How transformed our lives would be!